


What I'm Looking For

by LiterateChick



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Foster Care, M/M, private investigator kravitz, sibling relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 17:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12215553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterateChick/pseuds/LiterateChick
Summary: Kravitz has found plenty of people before, but none quite like this. It's not even that it was difficult to find him, he just has a feeling that it'll be difficult to keep this strictly professional.Kravitz the PI is hired to bring Taako and Lup, separated through the foster system, back together. Taako owns a bakery. There's a bit of tragic backstory but mostly it's sibling fluff and dumb boys falling in love.





	What I'm Looking For

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so the premise of this might be a little iffy but whatever it makes for a cool AU

Of all the places his job as a PI had sent him, Kravitz thought this was probably one of the nicest.

The bakery was warm and inviting, sitting between a locally owned clothes store and an antiques store in the up-and-coming part of town. It had wide windows and Kravitz could smell it from half a block away. As he pulled open the door marked ‘IN’ he could identify the overpowering scent of cooking strawberries, along with fresh bread and coffee. Inside the bakery was warm, a relief from the chilly fall outside, and Kravitz stopped for a moment to take a look around. Every table had a small potted plant, and through most of them were empty at the moment Kravitz got the feeling that during peak hours it is an extremely busy place. It was almost closing though, and only one table near the doors had any people at it, a small group talking loudly. Kravitz passed them and peered through the glass display case beside the counter at a small number of delicious looking cupcakes and brownies and scones and colourful macaroons. Behind the counter is an open floorplan so that whatever the bakers were doing could be seen by anyone in the shop. There was only one person behind the counter then though, a dark elf standing at a stove, mixing a pot. As Kravitz looked at the treats on display she said over her shoulder, “be with you in just a moment!”

Kravitz waited for her and thought that, if he was right, this would be one of the easiest jobs he’d ever had. He got the job the day before, and he was pretty sure he’d already found who he was supposed to. Ah well, easy money Kravitz thought as the woman moved the pot from the burner and turned to him, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Can I get something for you?” she asked. The tag on her apron read ‘Ren.’

“I’m looking for someone, actually,” Kravitz said, “an elf named Taako?”

Ren nodded, so this must have been the right place. “He’s not here at the moment, can I take a message?”

 “Oh, no, that’s quite alright,” Kravitz said, “will he be in tomorrow?”

“He should be back soon,” she said. “Hold on, I can find out.” She pulled out her phone and frowned at the screen. “He’s been ignoring my texts, but I know how to track him down.” She made a few taps on the screen, making a call.

 “Hey Angus,” she said after a moment, “is Taako there with you?” A pause, and she grinned, nodding to Kravitz. “Awesome, can you tell him he needs to get his butt over here? There’s someone who wants to speak with him.” Another pause. “No, not Lucretia. Someone else.” She eyed Kravitz a moment, before saying “tell him it’s a real good looking guy.”

Kravitz felt himself grow instantly warm, completely lost for things to say. He waved his hand, trying to cut Ren off, but she just smiled at him. “Great! I’ll see you then Ango.” She slipped her phone into her pocket and said “they’ll be here in 10 minutes.”

Kravitz, still warm, started stammering, “um, I’m not sure if you should have, I mean, I’m here for, um, business reasons, so I don’t want anyone to think that…” He was cut off by one of the people sitting at the table by the door, a man who’s approximately 85% muscle.

“Is Ango coming?” he called.

“Yeah Magnus, they’re on their way,” Ren said. “Apparently Angus insisted on stopping at the library first.”

“Oh, poor Taako,” said an older dwarf with a laugh. “I’m sure he loved that!” The other person at the table, a tall woman with dark skin and white hair, only smiled.

“You want something while you’re waiting?” Ren asked Kravitz, pulling his attention back to her.

 “Oh, um, maybe just a coffee?” He didn’t know why he said it. He didn’t intend on talking to Taako all that much, just to get enough information to confirm that he’d got the right elf. He didn’t even really like coffee. But three minutes later he was sitting one table away from the increasingly loud group, sipping on what was, admittedly, one of the better cups of coffee he’d had, waiting for Taako to show up.

It was a little more than 10 minutes before Taako got there, and Ren was sweeping between the tables when the door opened and a child, no older than 12, came running in, directly to the table filled with people.  

“Taako took me to the library!” he exclaimed, holding up a bookbag that looked stuffed absolutely full.

“Ango!” the muscle man exclaimed, scooping the boy up and holding him on his shoulders. “Didja get lots of cool new books?”

“Yeah!” the boy, Angus, said with an excited laugh.

“That was nice of you, Taako,” the woman said to a tall elf with skin only a touch lighter that hers and bleached-blonde hair. That has to be him, Kravitz thought, he looked almost exactly like the picture his client sent him, just with different piercings and lighter, longer hair.

“Yeah, well, the kid kept complaining that he had read everything else he had,” Taako, said. “I wanted to get him off my back.” He was smiling though, and Kravitz got the sense that he didn’t actually mind. Just then Taako looked over and saw Kravitz staring. He flashed him a grin that went straight to Kravitz’s head and, stepping gracefully around the big man who was still parading around with Angus on his shoulders, came over to his table.

“You must be the good looking man who was waiting for me?” he said, pulling out the seat across from Kravitz.

Kravitz blinked and pulled a notebook out of his jacket pocket, trying to shake a dazed feeling. “Yes, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?” A little less subtle than he would have liked, but that smile had thrown him off his game.

Taako didn’t look surprised at all. “Of course,” he agreed easily. “What do you need to know about Taako?” He threw his arms out wide as if he was presenting himself. His grey-green eyes sparkled mischievously, and Kravitz cleared his throat. He’s a professional, damnit, it should take more than some pretty eyes and an honestly breathtaking smile to get him flustered. He looked up from his notebook to Taako, determined to be all business.

“First, how long have you lived here in Neverwinter?”

“Since birth, homie,” Taako said easily. That gives Kravitz a moment of pause, since it went against the info his client had given him. Still, the resemblance to the picture was so striking that it wasn’t enough to assume that he’d got the wrong Taako. It wouldn’t have been the first time someone lied to him on the job, after all.

“And how long have you owned this bakery?”

“Co owned,” Ren called from across the bakery. She had begun mopping.

“Remember who got us this loan, Ren!” Taako called, and Ren stuck her tongue out at him.

“Co owned,” Kravitz corrected himself.

“Four months, ever since I got back from filming.” Taako leaned back in his chair and considered Kravitz. “You do your research before you came here?”

“Excuse me?” Kravitz asked.

“These just aren’t the types of questions you reporters usually ask. I mean, you’re handsome as hell so I don’t mind, but this is stuff you could probably have found through fantasy google.”

Kravitz chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, and quickly assumed the roll Taako had given him. “You got me. My supervisor sprung this story on me last minute and I didn’t really have time before I headed over here. You mind helping me out?”

Taako smiled gloriously and leaned forward. “Of course handsome, what kind of story does your supervisor want?”

“How about we start with what kinds of questions other reporters ask you?” Kravitz asked.

“Oh, it’s usually along the lines of ‘do you consider yourself a local celebrity,’ ‘how is the popularity of the bakery,’ ‘can you tell us anything about the show,’ that sort of thing.”

“Good ones,” Kravitz said, making a note in his notebook that was just ‘WHAT IS HAPPENING’ circled over and over. “Mind answering them?”

“I always have, it’s extremely popular, natch, and no spoilers.” Taako reached across the table and moved to push the notebook down, but Kravitz held it up against his chest. He was getting more and more confused by the moment, and he couldn’t let Taako see his notes that would betray that.

“Ah ah,” Kravitz said, “no spoilers for you either.”

Taako smirked. “What kinda notes you taking?” His tone was playful, and almost suggestive. Kravitz laughed and changes the subject.

“What does your family think of your new, er, endeavour?” Kravitz asked. Taako smiled, intrigued by Kravitz’s secrecy.

“I dunno, lets find out,” he said. He turned in his chair and says, “Hey guys, whaddya think about me being on TV?”

“It’s made your head three sizes too big,” the older dwarf said with a laugh.

“Not to mention when people come in to interview you,” said the muscly man, letting Angus down to the floor.

“We’re all very proud of you, of course!” said Angus with touching genuineness.

“I mean, it got you the bakery, but we’re never going to hear the end of it, so it’s a win-lose kind of thing,” said the woman.

“There you have it,” Taako said, turning back to Kravitz. “They love me more than ever.”

“Ah,” Kravitz was making more notes now, this was exactly the sort of thing his client would want to know. He gestured to the woman. “So this is your… girlfriend?”

Taako was silent for a moment, shock replacing the cool playfulness that has been his face since he started talking to Kravitz. Then he doubled up with laughter, pushing his chair away from the table and holding his stomach. The older dwarf and the muscly man started laughing too, the dwarf almost falling off his chair. The woman in question made a face.

“God, no,” she said.

“You’re not…” Kravitz trailed off as Taako sat upright again, still laughing, brushing tears from his eyes.

“No, no no no,” he said, waving his hand in front of him. He was still giggling when he explained to Kravitz, “No, it isn’t like that. It’s like, waaaay not like that. Lucretia is my foster sister.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kravitz said, crossing out a note he made. “And so these are all…”

“Magnus, foster brother, and Merle, weird uncle.” Taako supplied.

“Foster father!” Merle said, and Taako shook his head good naturedly.

“He keeps saying that, but I'm like 28 so I don't think it's legal” he said to Kravitz with a joking smile.

Kravitz laughed, trying to dispel his own feelings of awkwardness. “I see, okay.” He made a new note, the pieces falling together from what his client had told him. Still, he felt like an idiot. “Okay, I think I’ve got everything I need,” he said, standing. Taako pushed himself up too, narrowing his eyes at Kravitz.

“Really? Cause you didn’t get much,” Taako said. Kravitz should probably have stayed and kept playing along, but he was thrown completely off his game.

“You’re closing,” he said as an excuse, gesturing to Ren who was counting the till.

“Yeah, no, I’m closing,” Ren said pointedly to Taako.

“Sorry partner, but the public calls!” Taako said, gesturing to Kravitz. “Don’t worry about hours, I own the joint after all. C’mon handsome, stay a while.”

Kravitz was tempted, but he knew that if he stayed any longer he’d just keep making a complete fool of himself in front of this ridiculously attractive man who was flirting with him.

“I have some more research to do, clearly,” Kravitz said with an awkward laugh. He picked up his bag and stepped towards the door.

“Alright, alright,” Taako said, hands up in defeat. “But if it turns out your meager notes aren’t enough to fully show the wonder that is Taako, which trust me, they’re not, feel free to come back any time.” He winked at Kravitz, who shivered. It’s cause of the cool air blowing through the door, he told himself as he smiled back and pushed his way out of the warm bakery. As the doors swung closed he heard everyone talking at once, and instantly missed the warmth and friendliness of the place as he walked back to his apartment.

 

As soon as he got home Kravitz wrote an email to the client. He’d found Taako, this was where he worked, here was all the information he had, that sort of thing.

When he woke up the next morning he had an email back.

     From: bbluejeans@fantasygmail.com

     Subject: re: Acquired Information

     Thanks, this is awesome. We’ll be there in three days, keep an eye on him for us.

Kravitz would have to go back to the bakery. He wasn’t sure if what he was feeling was excitement or dread.

 

**Author's Note:**

> In the interest of complete honestly idk when I'm gonna have the time to update this, what with other writing and my fourth year in university, I'm really excited about this idea and the next few chapters specifically so it might come pretty quick but who knows. It'll probably be like 4 or 5 chapters by the end. I hope you guys like it ahhhh


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